Many mega projects in Pakistan have often exceeded their initial costs due to the fact that the fundamental principles of project management are ignored while planning the projects, said ICCI acting president STOCK IMAGE
RAWALPINDI:
Despite repeated announcements throughout the year, Rawalpindi District Council, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and District Development Committee failed to launch 13 development projects in the city, cantonment and rural areas of Rawalpindi in 2025.
All of these mega projects have now been moved to the 2026 development list.
Throughout the year, officials at these institutions continued to make grand claims and feed the media about the imminent launch of these projects, but they have now disappeared from the scene.
The stalled projects include Leh expressway, mother and child hospital, Ghazi Brotha water project, Daducha dam project, Chahan dam water supply scheme, completion of ring road, five commercial parking spaces, restoration of 120-year-old Sajjan Singh building, rainwater storage projects, a city-wide sewage system including a sewage tunnel and a sewage recycling project. and the rehabilitation of dilapidated government school buildings that have remained in poor condition for more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, the Miyawaki forestry project aimed at controlling environmental pollution and a poultry breeding program that had been running profitably for four years were completely disrupted.
The estimated cost of Leh Expressway was initially Rs 17,000 crore but has now increased to Rs 70,000 crore.
The cost of the sewer tunnel project increased from Rs 30 billion to Rs 50 billion. The Ghazi Brotha water project, originally estimated at Rs 19 billion, has crossed Rs 100 billion, making it permanently unviable. The cost of Daducha dam project increased from Rs 6 billion to Rs 15 billion, while rainwater storage projects increased from Rs 100 million to Rs 500 million.
The Mother and Child Hospital consumed Rs 10,000 million; the building, air conditioning and all construction works were completed, while machinery worth Rs 1,500 crore was pending. After the regime change, the project was shelved and the machinery renewal costs have now amounted to Rs 4 billion.
The cost of restoration of the historic Sajjan Singh building has increased from Rs 5 million to Rs 20 million.
The completion of the 38-kilometer ring road was scheduled for December 31, 2025, but was stopped due to lack of funds. Its new deadline is March 31, 2026, with a sharp increase in the estimated cost. Due to these delays, residents of Rawalpindi continue to face severe water shortages and daily traffic congestion. This year, no development funds were allocated to the Rawalpindi District Council, RDA, WASA and the Municipal Corporation.
As a result, 2025 turned out to be an extremely disappointing year for Rawalpindi in terms of development.
District Development Coordination Committee convenor and MNA engineer Qamarul Islam said that for the first time, a people-friendly development government came to power in Punjab.
He stated that all these projects will be launched in the New Year, adding that the upcoming fiscal budget will be totally development-oriented.
